Public school teachers in the Central West will take part in a statewide 24-hour strike on December 7 over unsustainable workloads and uncompetitive salaries, which the NSW Teacher's Federation says is contributing to growing shortages of teachers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It will be the union's first 24-hour stoppage in more than a decade, which "reflects the gravity of the situation" according to NSW Teachers Federation President (NSWTF) president Angelo Gavrielatos.
The strike is part of an ongoing campaign by the Teacher's Federation for a salary increase of between 5 to 7.5 per cent a year for teachers and an increase in preparation time of two hours a week.
Mr Gavrielatos met with regional teachers across the state earlier this month, including in Orange to brief them on the union's campaign to address the chronic state-wide teacher shortage and its impact on public schools, saying the situation was "dire."
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
According to government figures released to Parliament last month, 81.4 per cent of schools in the Central West had vacant permanent teaching positions in October.
Tim Danaher, NSW Teachers' Federation country organiser for the Dubbo region said local teachers, principals and union branches has been calling on the government for a significant time to provide immediate support in addressing the staffing shortages affecting schools in the Central West, however these calls were being ignored and dismissed.
"The current shortage is having an even bigger impact in our more remote communities."
Rallies are planned in Dubbo and Bathurst on December 7.
